May 25, 2010

Teachers Converge on State Capitol on May 25 to Urge Lawmakers to Stop Cutting Education

Armed with cell phones and commitment cards, more than 200 educators from across the state will start the day Tuesday by calling their local legislators in their district offices and going office to office in the Capitol asking them to stop public school cuts, to protect our classrooms during the current state budget crisis – and to sign a commitment card pledging to keep their promises to students. Lawmakers who have signed on to protect public education from cuts will join teachers at a noon CTA news conference today. “The polls show that voters are concerned about funding cuts to public education and believe our schools and students should be a top priority during the budget fight, especially after public education has been cut by $17 billion over the last two years,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association. “Now the governor’s revised budget wants to cut billions more while also wiping out child care. Teachers will be asking lawmakers to stop the cuts, and to sign commitment cards to show they will make protecting schools a top priority.”

The cards are part of a California Education Coalition campaign outlined at www.PromiseToStudents.com. They ask legislators to promise to protect public schools from further cuts; stand by the agreement signed into law last summer to repay $11.2 billion owed to public schools; and to oppose any attempt to undermine Proposition 98, the voter-approved minimum school funding guarantee.

WHAT: News conference with teachers and legislators and daylong lobbying by more than 200 California public school teachers from across the state. They will meet face to face with their lawmakers to ask them to sign cards committing them to protecting schools from more cuts. Assembly card signers Tom Torlakson and Tony Mendoza and Senator Leland Yee will speak at the news conference.

WHEN and WHERE: Lobbying by teachers is 11:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. today, May 25, in the Capitol. The news conference is noon-12:30 p.m. on the north steps of the Capitol building. Names of lawmakers who have signed the commitment cards will be unveiled. ### The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.

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The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.